Brighton & Hove Albion CEO opens door to Evan Ferguson exit amid Manchester United interest

The 19-year-old has managed 15 goals and four assists in 43 appearances for Brighton, with his record including 11 goals and two assists in 31 Premier League matches.

Ferguson is regarded as one of the best young talents in England's top flight, and a recent report claimed that Man United remained keen on the Republic of Ireland international despite the fact that he signed a new contract at the Amex earlier this month.

The teenager's deal is due to run until June 2029, but Barner has admitted that it is likely the forward will move on in the not too distant future due to his potential.

"When we can put them into long contracts to give them security, give us security, but very importantly, with young players, also to help them keep learning," Barber told Soccerex TV.

"At some point in the future, Evan's gonna be playing at an even higher level if his trajectory continues as it is. We want to make sure that we do everything we can to prepare him for that. Not just on the field, but off the field as well, give him as much support as we can.

"I think, as I said before, that the higher level we can play at, the more chance we've got of keeping our top players for longer.

"It doesn't mean to say that we can keep them forever, because players will have their own ambitions of the club they want to play for, and the league they want to play in, and the competitions they want to perform in. And we have to be respectful of that.

"And I believe that, and Tony Bloom (Brighton chairman) believes, that if we can actually show players clear pathways, not just through our club but also beyond our club, that will actually help us attract other younger players in the future to our club as well.

"Which is a good thing because that keeps our model moving. It keeps our cycle progressing and hopefully it keeps us successful as well."

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be interested in Ferguson, who has managed five goals in 11 appearances in the Premier League this season.

The youngster started his professional career at Bohemians, but he only made four appearances for the club before making the move to Brighton to link up with their academy.

Ferguson's first-team debut came in August 2021, and he proved to be a regular for the club last term, making 25 appearances, finding the back of the net on 10 occasions.

Brighton, who will be back in action away to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, would allegedly be looking for a British-record transfer fee in order to sell the centre-forward.